Empire of the Sultans was a touring exhibition from 1995 to 2004 displaying objects from the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. Around two hundred exhibits, including calligraphy, textiles, pottery (example pictured), weapons, and metalwork, illustrated the art and daily life of six centuries of the Ottoman Empire. Many of the objects had been created for the leaders of the empire, the sultans. Two of the calligraphic pieces were the work of sultans themselves. In the 1990s, the exhibition was hosted by institutions in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Israel, and its first catalogue was published by J. M. Rogers. The exhibits visited thirteen cities in the United States from 2000 to 2004, despite controversies in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War. Critics described the exhibition as wide- ranging and informative. They praised it for showing beautiful art works – naming the calligraphy in particular – and for presenting a fresh view of Islam.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_the_Sultans

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1927:

Wilfred Rhodes of England and Yorkshire became the only person to play in 1,000 first-class cricket matches. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Rhodes

1942:

The Holocaust: The gas chambers at Treblinka extermination camp began operation, killing 6,500 Jews who had been transported from the Warsaw Ghetto the day before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treblinka_extermination_camp

1995:

Hale–Bopp, one of the most widely observed comets of the 20th century, was independently discovered by astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp

1999:

In Tulia, Texas, 47 people were arrested for dealing cocaine; years later, 35 of the 47 were pardoned by the Governor of Texas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Tulia_drug_arrests

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

lionism: 1. (historical) 2. The 19th-century practice of bringing a lion (“an interesting person or object”) into one’s home as entertainment for visitors. 3. The state of being the lion (see above) of 19th-century hosts. 4. (by extension) The practice of lionizing (“treating a person as a celebrity or someone important”); also, the state of being lionized. 5. (pathology) The state of a person having a leonine facies, that is, facial features which resemble those of a lion as a result of some disease, especially a form of leprosy which causes leontiasis (“a medical condition characterized by an overgrowth of the cranial and facial bones”). 6. (Rastafari) The ideals of Rastafarianism. [...] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lionism

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.   --Kamala Harris https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris